Things you can do when in college


College students are always in a rush. Between classes, projects, homework, family, and other commitments, there a lot to balance. Many would think that by joining any college societies or clubs, they are not making better use of time. But is it really that way? So what are the top reasons to join any college societies or clubs?




You must be sure about the benefits you can get by joining that particular society. You mustn’t join any society just because some of your friends joined so. Looking at your own interests and aspirations, you must choose yours accordingly. Many people are still unsure of exactly what these societies are for or what they do. Societies are organizations intended to benefit and group together like-minded individuals based on some similar interests or abilities.
Some students may be invited to join more than one society. It's important to understand that you don't have to pick just one. But choosing the right one matters a lot.

1) It’s a chance to build your skill set and demonstrate your time management

While dealing with the struggles of being a college student, you might feel that organizing priorities and managing time has become a bit of a problem. This is where you can learn to manage time efficiently by making proper use of time.

2) It helps you to achieve your interests and also increases your confidence

Your confidence level jumps as you make progress in your field of interest, which is not possible by being inactive. You can follow your passion in singing, dance, quiz, speaking and many more. By joining any tech teams and making working models, you can pursue your interest in various items like robotics, electronics etc. There are numerous competitions which offer attractive prizes to the winners too.

3) Joining an organization is one of the best ways to build a  bigger network

College is all about networking with people who share similar interests because it gives you the opportunity to explore possible career opportunities and learn what it takes to reach one’s goals. You can get more exposure to real-world activities. Sophomore students can take advice from seniors and learn from former students to help guide in the right direction. Here, student organizations come into play and provide the opportunity to broaden your horizons, learn new skills and meet people who can further help in your success as you make transition from college to the real world.


4) It helps you to develop your soft skills

Soft skills refer to the daily behaviour of humans, which include attitude, one’s communication skills, and work ethic. By joining these clubs/societies you can not only learn more of these skills but also broaden and improve your existing one. A student can learn the best way to communicate with both individuals and large groups, and gain more of emotional intelligence as they gain and develop new acquaintance.


5) It helps promote and develop teamwork and team spirit

The mentioned skills are essential for any career. You can learn to work together as a team by experiencing situations where you are required to take advice from others, as well as give your own advice.


6) It leads to the practical application of the skills learned in class

What use is knowledge, if it is not made applicable in real life? By applying classroom experience in student organizations, you can develop great projects and ideas, which can benefit not only your self-satisfaction but also the greater public in general.
 

7) It helps gain leadership skills

Becoming a leader in an organization will surely help you to develop leadership skills that will be invaluable in all areas of life. In many cases, you will be presented with opportunities to improve in public speaking and gain confidence in yourself as an individual. These will be of great help to you as an individual as you progress in your career.


8) It provides an opportunity to expand  your resume

There’s no arguing that organizations and activities look good on a resume. Showing employers that you participated in, or (better yet) lead, a student organization, they’ll know that you’re hard-working and can handle multiple responsibilities. This can go a long way in improving your chances of joining some eminent MNC or high-end job.

9) It’s a time to have fun!

Last but not the least, another simple reason to join a student organization is to have fun. Meeting new people, making new friends, and participating in activities will help you, as a student to make the most of your graduate school experience. By meeting new people, you can expand your zone of friends; learn about new cultures, languages and many more. When you join any society, your are expected to do some tasks which you may or may not like but that's the point of exploring a field where you can discover your true potential, passion, interests. You will get to meet a lot of experienced and inexperienced people where you can get to learn soft skills which will actually help you in your life in cracking some exams or solving the real problems, or in working life later.

How to choose what to join?

Some students may be invited to join more than one society. It's important to understand that you don’t have to pick just one. But choosing the right one matters a lot.

As with most things in life, college societies come with no guarantees. What you get out of a legitimate society depends on what you put into it. Many people who join college societies only do it to boost their resumes.

It's unclear exactly how much benefit joining will provide. Some employers may be attracted to the fact that you've been associated with a prestigious fraternity or honour society, while others may not care at all. If it's a professional society related to the field in which you hope to work after graduation, then it may be of some use.

The Bottom Line

If you are through the society in order to obtain scholarships and job opportunities after graduation, there's a good chance that joining will be worthwhile for you. On the other hand, campus life offers a wide range of opportunities to network and socialize, so there's a chance that you can get the same benefits from simply joining campus social groups that match your goals and interests.

Simply focusing solely on just academics during college time at the university might not be the best way to ensure that you score all A's for all subjects. Taking a break and being in a different environment, that a club or society provides you with, can be healthy. It gives the brain a chance to recharge and helps someone destress, and relax.

Some societies give a chance to increase your knowledge outside the classroom, to help your future career options. It is a great way to enhance your knowledge and equip yourselves with tools for networking. Many of the country's most well-known performers were crafted by the societies they attended whilst at the university.

There are some well-known societies like IEEE, ASME, TEDx etc. and many more. These well-recognized societies will help you as an individual to develop your skills in all areas of life. By joining a recognized society or club, you can earn a good reputation in college too.

The obvious benefit of joining a student society is the impact it will have on your social life. You will get to meet people who share an interest with you, and they will widen your social network beyond your course and the people you live with.

However, there are also real gains in terms of your employability - the skills, qualities, and knowledge you offer to prospective employers, which suggest that you will successfully adapt to life as a graduate in the workplace. In many societies, there is an opportunity to learn about topics such as health and safety, finance, marketing, and aspects of the law, as well as developing strong interpersonal skills and the ability to take responsibility for money, equipment, and people.

Some more benefits of joining the societies are that they offer Discounts on life insurance, travel, credit cards and more. They also help create a safer world for future generations. All these benefits add up and overtake the cons that many people mention.

There really is no better way of becoming immersed in university life than becoming a member of the great number of clubs/societies available on campus. With the added bonus of the experience university clubs and societies you have for your CV, you are likely to gather interest from potential employers across all industries and sectors. It all congregates and complements that drive to secure an internship, as well as your first graduate job.

- Sonal Bera




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